Suspender-buckle



(No Model.).

D. L. SMITH. SUSPENDER BUCKLE.

No. 463,374. Patented Nov. 17, 1891 UNITED STATns PATENT OFF-ICE.

' DIVIGHT L. SMITIL'OF IVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

SUSPENDER-BUCKLE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,374, dated November 17, 1891.

Application fileclJune 20, 1890- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT L. SMITH, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Buckles; and Ido hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, andwhich said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a front View of the buckle complete embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the same, showing the clamping-bar in the down or disengaged position, Fig. 3, the same as Fig. 2, showing the .bar as in the position of clamping the strap; Fig. 4, the buckle-frame detached; Fig. 5, a front view, and Fig. 6 a vertical section of a modified form of buckle; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, further modifications. I

This invention relates to an improvement in buckles, such as are adapted to be used for suspenders and similar purposes, and particu larly to that class in which the frame is in the form of a parallelogram, the lower side being adapted for the attachment of the braces or suspender-ends, and which are provided with a bar between the opposite sides combined with the sliding jaw, which is adapted to grasp the suspender or strap upon the said intermediate bar. In the more general constructionof this class of bucklesthe intermediate bar is made separate from the frame and united to the two ends of the frame by bending or closing the end of a piece of wire around the two ends of the frame.

The object of my invention is to make this intermediate or clamping-bar as an integral part of the wire frame; and it consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

In the best or preferred construction of the buckle-frame the frame consists of two sides a I), connected by two ends 0 d, as usual in this class of buckles. The lower bar I) is provided with a hook e, or any of the known constructions, whereby attachment may be made, the construction of that bar or its attaching device being'immaterial to this invention. f represents .the central or bearing-bar, and g the sliding jaw. This sliding jaw is adapted $erial No. 358,118. on model.)

tween itself and the bar f, as seen in Fig. 3.

In order to make such grasp, the jaw is best constructed from sheet metal and its edge turned toward the bar f to form a jaw-like flange h, and that jaw-edge preferably serrated, so as to firmly engage the strap.

To construct the clamping-barf as an integral part of the buckle-frame, the frame is constructed as seen in Fig. 4, the length of wire employed is somewhat greater than necessary in the usual construction where the barf is made as an integral part of the frame. The wire is bent into shape, the central portion of the side a bent downward in U shape, forming two sides 1' t of a recess in that upper side, and then the wire returned parallel with the side a to form the bar f parallel with the side a, but between the said bar a and the bar 19. Preferably this bending is produced so as to bring the two ends of the wire to meet in the center of the bar f, and

upon this bar a tubular sleeve is applied to cover the joint and firmly hold the two ends together, as seen in Fig. 1. To the upper side a a similar tube Z is applied, inclosing the portions of the wire on that side and eX- tending across the recess formed by the bending of the wire, as seen in Fig. 1, thus giving to the buckle the appearance of a continuous upper bar a. This construction gives to the clamping-bar f a considerable degree of elasticity, which is desirable in a buckle of this character.

As represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the slide is on the rear of the buckle-frame; but this may be upon the front, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6. In this buckle, also, is shown adifferent construction for the attachment of the suspender-ends to the lower bar; but the con struction of the frame so far as the barf is concerned is the same in both cases, the illustration being sufficient to show that the invention is not intended to be limited to any specific construction and arrangement of the clamping-bar, as that bar may be any suitable device which will clamp the strap against or upon the intermediate barf.

\Vhile I prefer to produce the bearing-bar f by making a U-shaped bend so that a central recess is formed in the upper side of the frame, the bearing-bar may be made by turning the two branches of wire downward midway of the upper side and then turning the two ends outward, as seen in Fig 7. This produces the bar in the same relation to the two sides of the frame as in the first illustration, and makes the bearing-bar integral with the frame, F representing the bar.

The bearing-bar need not be straight, as thus far shown, but may, if preferred, be curved, so as to give it more of an ornamental appearance and produce substantially the same bearing for the clamping-bar, as seen in Fig. 8, F representing the bar. The two branches should be secured together to give them the requisite strength, as may be done by applying a clip thereto, as seen in Fig. 9.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, a buckle having a bar arranged between the upper and lower sides and so as to slide upon the ends toward and from the upper side as a means for engaging the strap, as such, I am aware, is well known.

I claim 1. A buckle-frame made from wire composed of an upper side a and lower side 1), connected by ends 0 d, the upper side a bent toward the side I), and so as to form a stationary bar f between the sides a b, the said bar thereby being an integral part of the frame, combined with a sliding clamping device adapted to engage the strap upon said clamping-bar, substantially as specified.

2. A buckle-frame made from wire composed of two sides a I), connected by ends 0 (Z, the central portion of the side a bent toward the side I), so as to form a recess in the upper bar and form a stationary barf intermediate between the sides a b, but an integral part of the wire frame, combined with a sleeve Z, inclosing the upper side a, and extending across said recess with a movable clamping device, substantially as described.

DWIGHT L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

NATHL. R. BRONSON, GEO. E. FERRY. 

